The number of abortions performed in the United States hit an historic low in 2012, continuing a 25-year-long gradual decline, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control.
About 699,000 abortions were reported to the CDC in 2012 - a 4 percent drop from the year before, or about 31,000 fewer abortions, the CDC said.
The abortion rate also fell about 5 percent to 13 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years, about half of what it was in 1974 when the Supreme Court established a nationwide right to have abortions, reported the Associated Press.
"From 2003 to 2012, the total number, rate and ratio of reported abortions decreased 17 percent, 18 percent and 14 percent, respectively, and reached their lowest level in 2012 for the entire period of analysis," the CDC said in its report.
Some experts attributed the decline to better use of birth control and a sluggish recovery from the economic recession, while others pointed to a cultural shift in which more women now prefer to follow through with birthing the baby, according to AP.
The majority of abortions were performed before 8 weeks' gestation, and nearly 91.4 percent were performed by 13 weeks. Some 9,000 babies were aborted at or after 21 weeks, with 22 weeks being the earliest time a baby can survive outside the womb, according to Life News. The majority of states prohibit abortions at about 24 to 26 weeks of pregnancy, according to The New York Times.
"Women in their 20s accounted for the majority of abortions and had the highest abortion rates," the CDC said, while "women in their 30s and older accounted for a much smaller percentage of abortions and had lower abortion rates."
It's important to note that the CDC data is not completely accurate, as it is only based on reports from health departments in 47 states. California, Maryland and New Hampshire don't report abortion numbers and data from Wyoming is often incomplete.
